


Senshi no kokoro

by StarryOfThy



Category: Rockman X | Mega Man X, Rockman Zero | Mega Man Zero, Rockman | Mega Man - All Media Types, Rockman | Mega Man Classic
Genre: (Except it's not), Family Issues, Grief/Mourning, Japanese Culture, Japanese Mythology & Folklore, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Reincarnation, Reunited and It Feels So Good
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-23
Updated: 2020-09-23
Packaged: 2021-03-08 01:33:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,095
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26617507
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarryOfThy/pseuds/StarryOfThy
Summary: Three months.That's how long it's been since tragedy struck.One month.That's how long it's been since he and his father took the 16-some hour flight to Japan.And one day.That's all it took for Xavier to realize how important his birthday means to a complete stranger.At least, he thinks he's a stranger. You can't say you know someone that you've only seen in dreams...Right?
Relationships: Axl & Zero (Rockman), Axl (Rockman)/Lumine (Rockman), Omega/Copy X (Rockman), X/Zero (Rockman)
Kudos: 11





	Senshi no kokoro

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [The Samurai and the Exorcist](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19436530) by [Kosei](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kosei/pseuds/Kosei). 



> So.
> 
> I've been wanting to write this for a while.
> 
> So I did.
> 
> Finally, I made, like, three drafts and settled on this one.
> 
> It's based on and is a continuation of Kosei's work "The Samurai and The Exorcist" which I LOVE, and literally, when I finished this, I told them I wanted to write a sequel.
> 
> So after countless roleplays and scrapped drafts, this is what I decided was a good enough first chapter.
> 
> I hope you enjoy this story as much as I enjoyed Kosei's story.

“Centuries ago, there lived a legendary pair of heroes. They met in their travels, the samurai and the exorcist. The samurai was a servant of the Oni Lord, Shiguma, his blade staining the land red in his wake. A prodigy in his art, the exorcist had the potential to reach power like no other, though he was still in training.

“Their origins tell that they were on opposite sides of a war. However, upon their meeting, they did not fight. With the doubt in the samurai’s mind of his master’s intentions, and the exorcists healing touch, the warrior’s mind was cleared and purified of evil, and they traveled together on the side that protected humanity.

“Together, they vanquished the demons of Shiguma’s army and sacrificed themselves to seal Shiguma beneath the earth. The spirits forgave the samurai for being misled and allowed the two of them to live on and protect Japan as spirits.

“Seventeen years ago, a fox demon, a kitsune, arrived in the forest that they lived. Humanity had forgotten the samurai and the exorcist's service and was removing their beloved home from the earth to erect their cities across the land without consideration. The kitsune bore news; Shiguma had returned and was once again sweeping over the land upon unsuspecting humans. Many died, and unable to fight, bound to their forest home, the heroes spirits could but wait.

“The Lord sent many to kill his old enemies, and one after the other they fell, causing the kitsune great pain as his skulk leader and surrogate father fell at his ally's hands. The ancient adversary arrived, gloating with his new army. But again, it was not enough. The Oni of the South was defeated again. Angry and spiteful, as a last resort, he made the fatal attack at the wounded samurai, but…

“The exorcist took his place and passed on to the next world.

“Shiguma escaped the torment of hell, and the samurai was left grieving.

“That day, humans realized their faults. They could not possibly continue their greedy march at the cost of the lives of the spirits and yokai that had cowered before them for centuries. They were not all-powerful, but they had the potential to be better.

“That is why, today, we celebrate the life of the forest and the spirits that saved us from the Demon Army and Lord Shiguma.”

Xavier stared ahead, struggle visible on his pale face. The teacher was telling the story in traditional Japanese he was unaccustomed to using consistently. Having just moved here, and his first language being English, he couldn’t help feeling outcasted as the students around him swiftly jotted down notes about the literary piece. The first day of school was his birthday, and he couldn’t say he appreciated the timing.

It had been a month since he moved here, and three since his mother passed away. His father and he moved here in hopes of finding a better paying job since their income had been significantly cut. His mom’s side of the family came from Japan, as evidence by her maiden name. She’s taken on his father’s name when they were married before Xavier was born, but after she died, the ‘Hikari’s’ reached out to his grieving father, insisting he took a job in their business as a scientist and engineer, for better pay and access to family.

‘Family’ struck a nerve as the brunette thought about it. Not two and a half months ago, those Hikari’s hadn’t so much as attended the funeral, and now they were shaking a career in front of his father like a carrot on a stick? It didn’t sit right with him. His older cousin ran the company, some sort of environmental charity/lab. He’d noticed the forest he now lived next to was lush and green, so they must be doing their job right. Still, that meant that this growing city had nowhere to grow. That forest was the only thing left with the room. Now, the buildings towered and teetered, and however secure they were, they still made Xavier nervous.

At least the house they lived in was alright. It wasn’t a cheap apartment, but that cheap apartment they had back in the U.S. had work put into it. The house the company offered them was… too large. It felt so empty, and they didn’t have enough belongings to fill the space. It was exactly like how he felt after his mother passed. She was sweet and kind, a woman that was the perfect mother. Even though she worked so hard to keep food on the table, and her English wasn’t always the best, she was a better mother than Xavier could have asked for.

She didn’t deserve to die.

“Raito-kun! Chūiwoharau!” he snapped his head up, the teacher’s slurred pronunciation of his name and the word for ‘Pay attention’ causing him deep embarrassment. The students glanced at him, but other than that, they merely went back to their notes.

Swallowing, face reddened with frustration, he looked back down at his desk. This was awful. His mother had taught him some Japanese, but he still barely understood, having to rely on his limited knowledge and textbook to speak Japanese or write kanji. He would need a tutor…

He did think it was a little selfish of his father to do this, as well. He did feel guilty thinking that way, but it was almost like he was running away from the place his mother died. Xavier had desperately wanted to stay, to be able to visit the gravesite of her, to leave her flowers after school, but no… They had to come here, to family members he had never met in his life and a school he couldn’t understand what anyone was saying.

He ran a hand through his hair with a quiet sigh. ‘Don’t start crying… It would be fine, he’d get through this, like everything else. He could handle learning a new language, a new life, and a new country. He could fill the shelves in his room with books as he did back in their apartment. He’ll just get more books. He’d fill the closet with shoes and clothes, fill his drawers with jeans and sweatpants. He just needs more to fill in the empty space.

“Raito-kun! Saki no me!” The teacher barked, and he looked up again, verdant gaze shamefully locked on the board of unfamiliar writing.

“H-hai, sensei…” Xavier murmured, though he had no idea what was said. He had to get through this day, first, though...


End file.
